Earthquakes and aftershocks are a fact of life in Japan, and since the tragedies of March 11, 2011 remain fresh in many of our memories it's easy to understand how each significant temblor can weigh on the mind of a Tokyo parent. Nearly everyone in this city has had some sort of preparedness training — from preschools to retirement homes — but a little extra practice has never hurt anyone. That's why I recommend heading to the Tokyo Rinkai Disaster Prevention Park, where they teach life-saving skills and strategies without being dull, dry or overly dark.

The reason the park is so engaging is because it offers an experience that is immersive: this isn't an instructional video or diagrams on a screen but rather a mock-up of a disaster zone that you must navigate while making the kind of decisions that could mean life or death during the real thing. The purpose of the simulation is to teach both young and old how to survive the first 72 hours after a major earthquake in the metropolitan Tokyo area. The facility is free to the public, and actually stands on the grounds of one of the city's main emergency bases of operation. You know the big "Situation Room" you see in disaster movies? They have one of those rooms here. If the staff aren't busy, and you ask nicely, they might show it to you.

The main attraction, however, is the aftermath "Experience-learning Facility" tour that starts near the main entrance every 30 minutes. You and your brood will each be given a Nintendo DS game console to hang around your neck and then escorted to a large elevator. Once in the elevator, the simulation begins. You begin to ascend a make-believe department store, only to be interrupted by a category 6 quake re-enactment. After the rumbling ends, the elevator doors open on a dark corridor, where you must follow the emergency exit signs to evacuate the building.